In Nunavut, the search and rescue (SAR) services provided by community responders create a safety net that allows Nunavummiut to live, travel, harvest, and work on the land. On water, land, and ice, SAR volunteers are able and willing to respond 24/7/365, in some of the harshest conditions in the world. While they sometimes work with responders in the Royal Canadian Air Force, Coast Guard, and private aircraft, often they are on their own.

But it’s a challenging task. “In my community, and probably in all the communities, searchers have to cover a lot of ground. There’s a lot of space up here. And all the machines – the boats, the snowmobiles, even the quads – are so powerful now, it makes it easier to go further out. You got the big area, you got the weather, the ice, and it’s all changing. It isn’t easy.” These words, from an experienced Nunavummiut community SAR volunteer, highlight some of the basic issues facing responders in the territory. Nunavut’s vast size – more than 2,093,000 square kilometres in total area, including 157,077 square kilometres of water, 45,000 kilometres of coastline, and over 36,000 islands – and tough environment combine to make time the enemy of all responders. Limited local resources, infrastructure, equipment, and training gaps, jurisdictional issues, and the distance from outside help all add to the challenges.

While space and distance define SAR in Nunavut, so to does its intimacy. Nunavummiut responders usually know the people for whom they are searching. SAR in Nunavut can involve brothers searching for brothers, parents for children, children for parents. It is searches for cousins, best friends, neighbours, and Elders. Almost every responder has found loved ones deceased – from the cold, from accidents, or from self-harm. The toll of this trauma and tragedy on the mental health of community responders is extreme. But they keep on going out, driven by a desire to serve their communities, to save their friends and families, and, often, because they are the only ones with the required skillsets.

This website is devoted to the community responders and their partners who risk life and limb “so that others may live.” An initiative of the Nunavut SAR Roundtable, the purpose of this site is simple: to provide information about search and rescue, to offer resources to community responders, and to serve as a platform through which to improve SAR prevention and response in the region. Stay tuned!

ᓄᓇᕘᑉ ᐃᓗᐊᓂ, ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐸᖅᓴᐃᔩᑦ ᐃᓅᓕᐊᖃᖅᑎᕗᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᓲᑦ ᐊᑐᓂ ᓄᓇᓕᐅᔪᑦ, ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑑᑉ ᒐᕙᒪᖏᓄᑦ, ᑲᓇᑕᐅᓪᓗ ᒐᕙᒪᑐᖃᒃᑯᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᑕᖃᖅᑎᑦᑎᓲᑦ ᓲᕐᓗ ᐅᓗᕆᐋᓇᔾᔭᐃᒃᑯᑎᒥᒃ ᐊᑯᖅᓯᔾᔪᑎᒥᒃ ᒪᑦᑎᑦᑕᐅᑎᑐᑦᑦ ᓄᓇᕘᒥᐅᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᐊᐅᓪᓛᖃᑦᑕᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᐊᖑᓇᓱᖃᑦᑕᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᓴᓇᕙᒃᖢᑎᓪᓗ ᓄᓇᖁᑎᒥᓂᒃ, ᑐᓐᓂᖅᓴᐃᖃᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᒥᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᐊᑕᓗ ᖃᓄᐃᖏᑦᑎᐊᓐᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᖃᑦᑎᐊᓐᓂᖏᓄᓪᓗ. ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᑖᓐᓇ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᓐᓇᓪᓚᕆᒃᑐᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᐋᒃᓴᐅᔪᓂᒃ. “ᓄᓇᓕᑦᑎᓐᓂ, ᐃᒻᒪᖄᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᓕᒫᓂᑦ, ᐸᖅᓴᐃᔩᑦ ᐊᖏᔪᐋᓗᒻᒥ ᕿᓂᕆᐊᖃᓲᑦ ᐊᖑᓇᓱᒋᐊᕝᕕᐅᓲᖑᔪᓂᑦ. ᐅᖓᒻᒧᑦ ᐅᖓᓯᒃᑐᐋᓘᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓂᖓ ᕿᓂᕆᐊᖓᓂᒃ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊᓗ ᐅᓪᓗᒥ ᐋᐅᓚᐅᑎᓖᑦ – ᐅᒥᐊᑦ, ᓯᑭᑑᑦ, ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᑎᓴᒪᓖᑦ – ᓄᑭᖃᓪᓚᕆᓕᒻᒪᑕ ᐊᐅᓚᔾᔪᑎᖏᑦ, ᐅᖓᓯᒃᑐᐋᓗᒻᒨᕈᓐᓇᓲᖑᓕᖅᖢᑎᒃ.  “ᐊᖏᔫᔪᒥᒃ ᐊᖑᓇᓱᒋᐊᕝᕕᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᑕᕆᐅᖅ ᓄᓇᓗ, ᓯᓚᖓ ᐅᔾᔨᕆᔭᕆᐊᓕᒃ, ᓯᑯᖓᓗ, ᑕᒪᐃᓂᓪᓗ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᖅᓱᓐᓇᑎᒃ. ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐱᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᔪᓐᓃᖅᑐᖅ.” ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᐅᖃᐅᓰᑦ, ᐱᓕᒪᒻᒪᕆᒃᑐᒥᒃ ᓄᓇᕘᒥᐅᑕᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᒻᒥ ᐊᑭᓕᖅᓱᒐᐅᓇᓂ ᐸᖅᓴᐃᔨᒧᑦ, ᓴᖅᑮᔭᖃᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓚᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓱᒫᓗᒋᔭᕆᐊᖃᓲᓂᒃ ᓵᖓᔭᐅᓲᑦ ᐸᖅᓴᐃᔨᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᕘᑉ ᐃᓗᐊᓂ. ᓄᓇᕘᑉ ᐊᖏᔪᐋᓘᓂᖓᑕ – ᐅᖓᑖᓃᖢᓂ 2,093,000 ᑭᑉᐹᕆᖓᔪᑦ ᑭᓛᒥᑕᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᔭᐃᓐᓇᕆᓪᓗᒍ, ᐃᓚᖃᖅᖢᓂ 157,077 ᑭᑉᐹᕆᖓᔪᑦ ᑭᓛᒥᑕᓂᒃ ᐃᒪᖅ, 45,000 ᑭᓛᒥᑕᓂᒃ ᓯᒡᔭᕆᔭᖏᓂᒃ, ᐅᖓᑖᑕᓗ 36,000 ᕿᑭᖅᑕᐃᑦ – ᓂᒡᓚᓱᒐᔪᒃᑐᒥᓪᓗ ᓯᓚᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᑲᑎᖢᒋᑦ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂᒃ ᓴᖅᑮᑲᐅᑎᒋᓲᖅ ᐅᖓᕙᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖅ ᐊᑭᕋᕆᔭᐅᒻᒪᑦ ᐸᖅᓴᐃᔨᓄᑦ.

ᓱᒃᑲᔪᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᐸᑲᐅᖅᑐᓐᓃᑦ ᐊᑐᓛᖑᓪᓚᕆᓲᑦ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᓐᓇᓲᑦ ᓵᖓᔭᒃᓴᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᖅᑐᑦ ᑭᓱᖃᑦᑎᐋᖏᑦᑐᒥᒃ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᖅ ᐊᕙᑎᒋᔮ, ᑭᒡᓕᖃᓗᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᓄᓇᓖᑦ ᓱᓇᒃᑯᑖᖏᑕ, ᖃᓂᑦᑐᒃᑯᓪᓗ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᖃᓐᓂᖏᑦ ᑐᑭᒧᐊᕆᔭᐅᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᖏᓪᓗ ᐱᔭᕆᐊᖃᓲᖑᔪᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᓄᑦ ᐃᓚᐅᖃᑕᐅᓂᖃᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᒋᔭᒥᒃ, ᐊᒡᒍᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᖃᕝᕕᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᑲᓇᑕᐅᓪᓗ ᒐᕙᒪᑐᖃᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᔭᒃᓴᖏᒍᑦ ᐱᔭᕆᑦᑐᐃᔪᓐᓇᓪᓚᕆᒃᑐᖅ ᐊᑭᓐᓂᖃᐅᓐᓂᕆᔭᖏᑦ. ᖄᒃᑲᓐᓂᐊᒍᑦ, ᐅᖓᓯᒃᑑᑎᐅᓂᖏᑦ ᐅᐸᒃᑕᐅᓲᑦ ᐱᓗᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᐸᒐᓱᒃᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᓯᒡᔭᒥᐅᑕᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᓯᑯᓯᐅᑎᖏᑦ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᖃᖅᑐᑦ ᑕᕆᐅᒐᓵᓗᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᐅᓇᑕᖅᑐᒃᓴᖏᑕ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅᑎᖏᑦ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᓂᑦ ᓇᔪᒐᖃᓲᓄᑦ, ᑐᑭᖃᒐᔪᒃᑐᖅ ᒐᕙᒪᑐᖃᒃᑯᑦ ᓱᓇᒃᑯᑖᖏᑦ ᐊᑯᓂᐋᓗᒃ ᐃᓛᓐᓂᑦ ᑎᑭᓐᓇᓱᓲᖑᒻᒪᑕ. ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᐸᒍᑎᓇᓱᒃᑐᑦ ᐃᒻᒥᒃᑯᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᓐᓇᐅᑎᒥᓂᒃ ᓵᖓᔭᕆᐊᖃᓲᑦ – ᖁᓕᒥᒎᒻᒥᒃ CH-149 ᑯᐊᒧᕌᓐᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓪᓗᓂ ᑕᑲᓇᙵᑐᖄᓗᒃ ᒑᓐᑐ, ᓂᐅᕙᐅᓐᓚᓐᑦ, ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᒍᕇᕗᑦ, ᓅᕙ ᓯᑲᐅᓯᔭ, ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᖓᓄᑦ ᖁᑦᑎᒃᑑᑉ ᐱᔭᕆᑐᔪᒻᒪᕆᐋᓗᒃ ᐊᖏᔪᐋᓗᒻᒥᒃ ᐃᓗᓕᖃᓲᖅ ᐸᕐᓈᖑᔭᕆᐊᓕᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᓐᓂᐊᖅᑕᒃᓴᖏᓂᓪᓗ ᐊᖅᑯᑖᓂ ᐅᐸᒐᓱᓐᓂᐊᓄᑦ.

ᑕᐃᒪᐃᑦᑑᒐᓗᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊᑐᐊᖅ ᐊᒃᑎᒋᓂᐊᑕ, ᐅᖓᓯᒃᑑᓂᐊᑕ, ᓂᒡᓚᓱᓐᓂᐊᑕᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᑭᒡᓕᓯᓂᐊᕆᕙᙱᓚᑦ ᕿᓂᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐸᖅᓴᐃᔪᓂᓪᓗ ᓄᓇᕘᑉ ᐊᓗᐊᓂ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᐊᒃᑐᐋᓂᖃᓪᓚᕆᓐᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐃᓚᐅᔪᓄᑦ. ᑕᐃᒫᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᓯᑦᑕ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓄᓇᖓᓃᑦᑐᑐᑦ, ᐅᖁᒪᐃᑦᑑᐊᓗᒃ ᕿᓂᓐᓂᖅ ᐸᖅᓴᐃᓇᓱᓐᓂᓪᓗ ᐅᓄᓛᒥᒃ ᑲᑕᒐᔪᓲᖅ ᑭᐊᓯᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᓖᑦ ᐸᖅᓴᐃᔨᖏᑕ ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᒐᔪᒃᖢᑎᒃ ᐃᓄᓐᓂᒃ ᕿᓂᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ. ᑕᒪᓐᓇ SAR ᓄᓇᕘᑉ ᐃᓗᐊᓂ ᓄᑲᕇᖅ ᕿᓂᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᖓᔪᒥᓂᒃ ᓄᑲᒥᓂᒃ, ᐊᖏᔪᖅᑳᑦ ᕿᑐᙵᒥᓂᒃ ᕿᓂᖅᑐᑦ, ᕿᑐᙵᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᖏᔪᖅᑳᒥᓂᒃ ᕿᓂᖅᑐᑦ. ᕿᓂᓐᓃᑦ ᐃᓚᖃᓲᖑᒻᒥᔪᑦ ᐃᒡᓗᕆᔭᑦ ᐊᓐᓇᖃᑏᑦ ᐊᖑᑎᖃᑏᓪᓗ, ᐱᖃᓐᓇᕆᓛᖏᑦ, ᓴᓂᓕᑦᑎᐋᖏᑦ, ᐃᓐᓇᑐᖃᕆᔭᐅᔪᓪᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᒻᒥ. ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂᓕᒫᑦᑎᐊᑲᓴᖅ ᐸᖅᓴᐃᔨᐅᔪᖅ ᓇᓂᓯᓂᑰᕗᖅ ᓇᒡᓕᒋᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᓂᓐᓂᖃᕈᓐᓃᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ – ᕿᐅᓂᒻᒧᑦ, ᐱᕐᕈᓗᐋᕿᓂᒻᒧᑦ, ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐃᒻᒥᓂᒃ ᓱᒋᐋᕆᓂᒃᑯᑦ.

ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖁᒪᐄᒃᓴᖃᑦᑕᓐᓂᖅ ᐋᓂᖃᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᓐᓂᓪᓗ ᐱᓗᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᐃᓱᒪᖏᑕ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᖅᓱᓐᓂᐊᒍᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᑦᑕ ᐸᖅᓴᐃᔨᖏᓄᑦ ᐊᒃᓱᐋᓗᒃ ᐊᖏᔫᕗᖅ. ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᑲᔪᓰᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᓲᑦ ᐸᖅᓴᕆᐊᖃᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕈᒪᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᒻᒥᐅᖃᑎᖏᑦ, ᐃᓅᓕᐊᖃᕈᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐱᖃᓐᓇᕆᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᖃᑕᙳᑎᒥᓂᓪᓗ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗᑦᑕᐅᖅ, ᐅᓄᓛᖑᔪᒃᑯᑦ, ᐊᔪᙱᓐᓂᖃᖅᑐᑑᖃᑕᐅᓲᖑᒻᒪᑕ ᓄᓇᓕᐊᓂᒃ ᐊᒥᓲᖏᑦᑐᑯᓘᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓄᖏᑦ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᑲᐅᑎᒋᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ. ᐱᑕᖃᖅᑎᑦᑎᓗᑎᒃ  ᐸᖅᓴᐃᔩᑦ ᐃᓅᓕᐊᖃᖅᑎᕗᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᓐᓂᒻᒥᑦ 24/7, 365 ᐅᓪᓗᓄᑦ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᒥ, ᐊᒥᓲᓂᖅᓴᑦ ᑭᒡᓕᖃᓪᓚᕆᒃᑐᒥᒃ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᐅᑎᓂᒃ ᐱᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᐃᓅᓕᓴᐃᔾᔪᑎᒃᓴᓂᒃ, ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᒃᓴᒥᓪᓘᓐᓃᑦ, ᐃᓛᓐᓂᓪᓗ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᓪᓚᕆᓕᓲᑦ ᓄᑮᕈᑎᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑕᖃᒧᑦ, ᐃᓱᒫᓘᓕᓐᓂᒻᒧᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᑐᖁᖓᔪᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᐃᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᓗᐊᒧᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᓗᓐᓇᕈᑕᐅᓲᒧᑦ ᖃᓂᒻᒪᓯᐅᓕᓲᖅ.ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᐸᖅᓴᐃᔨᑦ ᑐᙵᕕᓪᓚᕆᐆᔪᑦ ᕿᓂᓐᓂᒻᒧᑦ ᐸᖅᓴᐃᓂᒻᒧᓪᓗ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᐅᓂᖃᓐᓂᐊᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᕘᑉ ᐃᓗᐊᓂ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᓄᑦᑖᔪᑐᑦ ᓯᑯᑎᑐᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᖃᓕᒻᒪᑕ ᑐᙵᕕᒋᔭᐅᓲᑦ ᓱᕋᒃᐸᓪᓕᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᓐᓂᐊᓕᖅᖢᓂ ᑖᓐᓇ ᑐᙵᕕᖓ ᑲᔪᓰᓐᓇᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᓵᙵᔭᐅᖏᒃᑯᑎᒃ, ᑮᓇᐅᔭᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᖏᒃᑯᑎᒃ, ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓱᐄᔭᐅᖃᑦᑕᖏᒃᑯᑎᓪᓗ.